He can’t make Baltimore’s problems disappear –but magician David Blaine lightened the mood

Magician David Blaine drove to Baltimore to "offer some nice distractions" to the people of Baltimore. (Keith Alexander/The Washington Post)

There’s not much uplifting to say about the events that have followed the arrest and death of Freddie Gray in Baltimore. Rage, distrust, riots, looting — and no answers yet as to how the 25-year-old West Baltimore resident suffered a fatal spinal injury in police custody April 19.

But today there was a peaceful march by a refreshingly multiracial crowd. And famed magician David Blaine stopped in town to help lighten the mood with magic tricks. The 42-year-old illusionist, who made his name as a street performer, arrived with a team of personal videographers to offer “some nice distractions.”

“I am not trying to resolve anything,” Blaine told Post reporter Keith Alexander, as he held a mostly-male throng — bottles of malt liquor at their feet — spellbound. “I just want to be here, to let people know we care and to see people smile for a moment.”

One man, Al, wrote his name on an ace of spades and slid it in the middle of the deck, reported Alexander, who shot the video here on his phone.

Blaine shuffled the cards. Al took the first card off the deck. It was his — the only card with his signature.